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Former Net great suggests two players Ben Simmons should emulate



Kenyon Martin is a name that lives in Nets' lore. A fiery and gritty competitor that helped lead the Nets to two consecutive, and to date their only,  NBA Finals appearances in 2002 and 2003. Martin wasn't shy about imparting his basketball wisdom on Simmons. 

 On the GilberArenaShow, the one-time All-Star with the Nets, Martin, noted Giannis Antetokuonmpo and Russell Westbrook as two players Simmons should model his game after.

 Simmons looked healthy in Monday's preseason opener against the Lakers in Vegas. If he can start to play downhill and put pressure on teams to protect the paint, the Nets could be a sleeper team to keep an eye out for this regular season. 

Full episode below:


https://www.youtube.com/live/Ve3CJTHBfaY?si=w6FwL645e-0qdRWa

Simmons confirms: 'This is the best he's felt in two years'

 Save all the Ben Simmons jokes because he might make you eat your words.

After 14 minutes in preseason section on Monday, it was clear this is not the same Simmons that was laboring his way through the season last year in Brooklyn or disengaged with teammates the way he was two years ago in Philadelphia.

Simmons looked stronger, faster and healthier than ever and he let it be known to all the doubters.


You can never take too much from the preseason, but the explosiveness he showed in the open court and attacking the basket, along with a new found confidence to look at the rim offensively, will make Simmons a major X-Factor for the Nets this season.

Ben Simmons commits laughable turnover amid positive night

 


Ben Simmons looked a heck of a lot closer to his former All-Star self than he did to the shell of himself he was last season with the Nets. 

Appearing healthy and apparently fully recovered from back surgery, Simmons had an extra pep in his step during the first half of his preseason debut.

Simmons was attacking the basket, split four free throws, poured in 10 points and dished out three assists in 14 minutes.

No matter how much progress Simmons has made, he'll always have his detractors.

So when the Nets point guard skipped across half court in what appeared to be a travel, went behind his back and attempted a no look pass to the wing that nearly ended up in the stands, his trolls were out in full force.

 The Nets season opens on October 27 and Simmons will have an opportunity to silence his haters when the games truly count. 

Ben Simmons reaches double digits in scoring in preseason debut

 


Ben Simmons made an early preseason statement, by looking as healthy as he's ever been since he donned a Nets uniform.

Brooklyn's, point guard opened the team's scoring with a smooth hook over LeBron James to set the tone for the night.

 

In 14 minutes, Simmons tallied ten points and three assists on 2 of 4 from the charity stripe. 



The Nets defense was about as casual as having a cup of coffee with an old friend, letting up 75 first half points against a starting five of James, Anthony Davis and DeAngelo Russell, Austin Reaves and Taurean Prince. 

Brooklyn fans anticipated the team being an elite defensive ball club, but the opening half of the preseason has to raise a ton of concerns for Jacque Vaughn and company. 


Simulation determines best Nets team ever

 


Have you ever imagined how the 1976 ABA Champion New York Nets would fare against the 2003 Eastern Conference Champion New Jersey Nets?

How about the 2020-21 Brooklyn Nets against the 1975-76 New York Nets?

Well, courtesy of WhatifSports, you can see any team in sports history take on another all-time team, either current or historic. 

Of interest to Nets fans is what team is definitively the best of all-time.

Selecting three of the best Nets teams of all-time, we let the simulation do the work!

The first matchup saw the 2002-03 New Jersey Nets take on the 2020-21 Brooklyn Nets

The results might shock you!


So naturally, the next matchup we'd all pay to see is the 1975-76 New York Nets against the 2020-21 Brooklyn Nets. Those results may shock you, too!


And finally, Dr. J's 1975-76 New York Nets take on Jason Kidd's 2002-03 New Jersey Nets.

Does the winner of this matchup settle once and for all the best Nets team of all-time?

We like to think so! Once again, the results are quite stunning!


The Simulation possibilities are endless, but according to this set of simulations, the 2002-03 Nets rated as the best team in franchise history!





Former Net announces he 'made it out of Israel safely'




Former Seton Hall standout and Brooklyn Nets second round pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, Isaiah Whitehead, who currently plays for Ironi Ness Ziona of the Israeli Basketball Premier League, let his fans know via X, that he is safe. 



The Israeli-Palestinian conflict reached code red on Saturday when Hamas mobilized a surprise attack as Gaza militants launched thousands of rockets, resulting in at least 300 casualties.

With Israel 'at war' according to its Prime Minister, the world is hoping for a speedy and peaceful resolution to this violent conflict. 

How Kooky Kyrie, The Bearded One, and Kevin, too, ruined Nets' Superteam

It started with a clean sweep and ended with a clean sweep. Bookended by utter bliss and overwhelming dysfunction, the Nets superteam era was littered with disappointment and sprinkled with highlights. 

 From James Harden's lingering hamstring strain to Kyrie Irving's season-ending ankle injury and finally Kevin Durant's toe in the line in Game 7 of the 2021 NBA playoffs, even the most anticipated season in Nets' history ended in bitter anguish. 

 The offseason to come was filled with optimism that all three superstars would ink long-term extensions, but only Durant made good on his long-term commitment to the franchise, one he would reneg on not just once, but twice.

Irving's unvaccinated status caused him, fairly or unfairly, to be ineligible for home games and eventually the team refused to let him be a part-time road player. Discontent formed in the locker room with Harden growing impatient without Irving and eventually Durant who was sidelined by a knee sprain suffered a few weeks before the All-Star break. 

 Every step of the way, Durant, Irving and Harden had a chance to take a leadership role to keep the organization on the tracks. All three refused to hold each other accountable, culminating in Harden asking out and getting dealt to Philadelphia centered on a package around a physically and mentally damaged Ben Simmons. Irving eventually rejoined the team in time for a late season push, but with a friend turned foe Ime Udoka leading the hottest team in the NBA, the Boston Celtics, the Nets couldn't simply flip the switch come playoff time.

 The Nets lost four highly competitive games with Simmons in the series sweep, including falling victim to a Jayson Tatum game winner in the opener. Brooklyn was back to the drawing board and now it was Durant who grew disenfranchised with the direction of the team by demanding a trade that summer, only to rescind it a few weeks later. The Nets, with Durant and Irving leading the charge, raced out again to an impressive start to the 2022-23 campaign, but Irving's off the court antics, including promoting a film with anti-Semitic tropes became a breaking point in his relationship with the team. 

 Owner Joe Tsai gave Irving a punch list of tasks to complete to get reinstated by the club, which he ultimately fulfilled and then returned. For the second straight year, Durant suffered another pre-All-Star break MCL sprain and the locker room, led by Irving, unraveled. 

 Only weeks later, Irving, who was set to become a free agent at season's end, held the Nets feet to the fire to offer him a near max contract extension. The two sides were miles apart, leading Irving to requesting a trade and the Nets obliging, sending him to Dallas for a package centered on Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith and picks. 

 With his co-star gone, it wasn't long before Durant revisited his trade request and skipped town like the other two thirds of the superteam. It was a tragic story of misfortune, missteps and a lack of leadership. The front office and ownership deserve their share of the blame for the dysfunction, but the trio stars not only gave up on their teammates and the organization, but the fans and each other.

 Irving, Durant and Harden will remain as not only the biggest What-if in Nets history, but in sports history as well.

Former Net launching 3-on-3 Pro Streetball League




"The Big Ticket" will be going box office in 2024 to show off his true entrepreneurial spirit. 

You heard right, a former Net, Timberwolf and Celtic great will be dipping his toe in the proverbial Pro Streetball League waters.

According to CBS Sports, Kevin Garnett has his sights set on creating a 3-on3 basketball league called, Str33t. It will feature men's, women's and co-ed teams competing over 4-weeks.

Garnett's company, Big Ticket Sports, is forming a partnership with Pro League Network to get the venture off the ground.

Str33t is gearing towards a streaming audience with fast-paced games and will play under FIBA 3-on-3 rules. 

The success of rapper Ice Cube's BIG3 has been well documented and it appears Garnett is looking to throw his hat in the ring and be the hottest ticket in the 3-on-3 circuit.

Str33t is set to get underway in 2024 and will be sure to capture basketball fans' imagination, especially those who have been longing for a viable streetball league to watch.

Even since the grassroots And-1 mixtapes, there's been a growing demand for streaming and televised pro streetball to whet hoopheads appetites for nonstop action on the blacktop and Str33t might just satisfy the craving. 

Nets will hold annual Practice in the Park event on Oct. 14



 Nets fans looking for an up close and personal look at the 2023-24 Brooklyn Nets can look no further than Brooklyn Bridge Park on October 14th.

 The Nets may not have the star-studded rosters of season's past, but Mikal Bridges is well on his way to a first All-Star selection.

Former three -time All-Star Ben Simmons is showing signs of returning to form, while Cam Thomas is one of the most exciting young players in the game. 

Nic Claxton is aiming for the NBA's defensive player of the year award, while Spencer Dinwiddie's veteran leadership and bubbly personality will be sure to amuse fans.

Nets fans looking to get notified about tickets, click on the link at the tweet above for more details!

Report: Ex-Net Irving named exec at amoral Chinese Shoe Giant

 


According to Rolling Stone, current Dallas Mavericks shooting guard and ex-Net Kyrie Irving has been appointed to the role of Chief Creative Officer at ANTA, a China-based apparel company with questionable business practices, to put it lightly. 

Irving signed a five-year mega deal with ANTA last year after Nike suspended its partnership with him in light of him promoting a film with anti-Semitic tropes. 

The Nets and owner Joe Tsai suspended Irving after the incident last season and refused to reinstate him until he fulfilled a checklist of tasks. The list included reaching out and apologizing to members of the Jewish community.

ANTA has been under fire from not just the NBA, but the U.S. State Department for forced labor practices of Uyghur Muslims in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, where they are subjected to inhumane conditions and considered to be a genocide. The atrocities in this region have been condemned by the United States and its allies and Irving's mere association and connection with ANTA's executive team is not only a public relations nightmare for the league, but brings into question Kyrie's moral compass in the eyes of many. 

Irving has long since been a proponent of social justice and being the "voice for the voiceless." But his latest business dealings by aiding a company with ties to forced labor camps overseas, will continue to see him face harsh criticism domestically and abroad in the weeks and months ahead, and deservedly

Simmons laughs off question about his Sixers holdout when compared to Harden's



You can't fault the reporter for trying to get a reaction but Ben Simmons wasn't taking the bait. 

When asked by the media at HSS Training Center about how he spent his 2021 Sixers Media Day, a time during which he was away from the team, Simmons offered the run of the mill, "no comment," followed by a wry smile. 

The question, of course, pertained to James Harden's acrimonious relationship with Philadelphia and specifically general manager Daryl Morey.


Despite Harden claiming that he'd never play for a team where Morey is employed, the point guard has since reported to training camp, with many NBA insiders surmising that he'll make it as uncomfortable as he can for the Sixers.

With Harden trying to force the 76ers hand for a trade, Simmons is trying to get on the court and healthy for his first time since being traded to the Nets. 

While some Nets fans maintain optimism that Simmons will regain his All-Star form, neither Brooklyn nor Philadelphia can be overly pleased with their end of things at this point in time.
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